Vermonter competes in Jeopardy! tournament quarterfinals this Wednesday

Megan Stewart, Burlington Free Press
·2 min read
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On Wednesday, Feb. 28, a Vermonter will return to the Jeopardy! stage to compete in the veteran game show's "most prestigious" event: The Tournament of Champions.

Jake DeArruda, of Ludlow, a delivery routing assistant who has already won three games on Jeopardy!, is one of 27 decorated champions who will vie for the tournament's $250,000 grand prize and the chance to play in the game show's upcoming masters event.

On Wednesday, DeArruda faces fellow decorated contestants Nick Cascone, a one-game champion and Season 37/38 Champions Wildcard winner, and Yogesh Raut, a three-game champion, in their quarterfinal game. The first contestant to win three games wins the tournament.

Ludlow-born Jake DeArruda is set to compete on "Jeopardy!" Wednesday, Feb. 29 in the Tournament of Champions. DeArruda, a three-game champion, will be playing his quarterfinal game. If he wins three games in the tournament, he will receive $250,000 and the chance to play in the “Jeopardy! Masters” event.
Ludlow-born Jake DeArruda is set to compete on "Jeopardy!" Wednesday, Feb. 29 in the Tournament of Champions. DeArruda, a three-game champion, will be playing his quarterfinal game. If he wins three games in the tournament, he will receive $250,000 and the chance to play in the “Jeopardy! Masters” event.

Included in the tournament are the contestants who secured the most wins since the previous Tournament of Champions in 2022; six players from Season 37, 38 and 39 Champions Wildcard competitions; and the victors of the Jeopardy! High School Reunion Tournament and Season 1 of "Celebrity Jeopardy!." This is the largest competitor pool in Tournament of Champions history.

Upcoming Jeopardy! tournament games

Tuesday, Feb. 27: Quarterfinal 3

  • David Sibley, a four-game champion from Walla Walla, Washington

  • Yungsheng Wang, a three-game champion and Season 37/38 Champions Wildcard winner originally from Lafayette, Louisiana.

  • Hannah Wilson, an eight-game champion from Chicago.

Wednesday, Feb. 28: Quarterfinal 4

  • Nick Cascone, a one-game champion and Season 37/38 Champions Wildcard winner originally from Queens, New York.

  • Jake DeArruda, a three-game champion originally from Ludlow, Vermont.

  • Yogesh Raut, a three-game champion from Vancouver, Washington.

Thursday, Feb. 29: Quarterfinal 5

  • Kevin Belle, a three-game champion from Silver Spring, Maryland.

  • Luigi de Guzman, a five-game champion from Arlington, Virginia.

  • Juveria Zaheer, a Season 39 Second Chance winner and Season 39 Champions Wildcard winner from Whitby, Ontario, Canada

Friday, March 1: Quarterfinal 6

  • Brian Henegar, a three-game champion from LaFollette, Tennessee.

  • Josh Saak, a three-game champion and S37/38 Champions Wildcard Winner from Boise, Idaho.

  • Stephen Webb, an eight-game champion from Longmont, Colorado.

Monday, March 4: Quarterfinal 7

  • Ike Barinholtz, the winner of “Celebrity Jeopardy!” Season 1 champion from Chicago.

  • Melissa Klapper, a three-game champion from Merion Station, Pennsylvania.

  • Ray Lalonde, a 13-game champion from Toronto, Canada.

Tuesday, March 5: Quarterfinal 8

  • Justin Bolsen, Jeopardy! High School Reunion Tournament champion from Canton, Georgia.

  • Ben Chan, a nine-game champion from Green Bay, Wisconsin.

  • Emmett Stanton, a three-game champion from Baltimore, Maryland.

Wednesday, March 6: Quarterfinal 9

  • Sean McShane, a three-day champion from South Boston, Massachusetts.

  • Troy Meyer, a six-day champion from Tampa, Florida.

  • The Seasons 39 Champions Wildcard winner has yet to be decided

The semifinals and finals will take place later in March.

For more information about the tournament, including local show times and stations, visit Jeopardy.com/tournament-champions.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions has Vermont contestant